History Creator / MarieCorelli

[[http://mariecorelli.org.uk/ Marie Corelli]] was a Christian mystic/spiritualist and the author of many Victorian fantasy-romances and adventure stories, including ''Literature/ARomanceOfTwoWorlds'' and ''Literature/{{Ardath}}''. Some of her books featured reincarnation, astral projection and other occult themes, quite normal for that speculative era. Like Creator/HRiderHaggard (who was a fan of hers, and she of him) and Creator/EdwardBulwerLytton, she seemed to have been influenced by the Rosicrucians and the Society for Psychic Research. But much of her writing on these matters was purely original. Like Bulwer-Lytton, she was taken seriously by Theosophy and by today's UsefulNotes/NewAge. Her stories often had strong [[AnAesop Aesops]] about the hypocrisy of society, unfairness towards women and children, and cold rationality without compassion or spirituality.

But throughout her career, Corelli did write of the right of persons to advance according to their talents and not to be trapped by social class and expectations. She believed in universal health care and invested a lot of her wealth into improving Stratford-upon-Avon's standing as a Shakespearean center. She wrote of drug addiction in ''Literature/{{Wormwood}}'', alcoholism in ''Holy Orders'', illegitimacy in ''Literature/{{Innocent}}'', CramSchool and child suicide in ''Literature/TheMightyAtom'', internal combustion engines in ''Literature/TheDevilsMotor''[[note]]Written in 1901. By 1912, she got herself a Daimler.[[/note]], the benefits of atomic energy in ''Literature/TheSecretPower'', and adapted the Theatre/{{Faust}} legend in ''Literature/TheSorrowsOfSatan'' -- which was adapted to film in 1926 by Creator/DWGriffith.

* ''Literature/{{Ardath}}'' (1889)

Like her friend Creator/{{Ouida}}, Marie could be difficult in person, but she was capable of great kindnesses and self-sacrifice. She was the sole support of her brother Eric, who failed miserably at every career he attempted. Instead of being grateful, he got nasty and went around saying he wrote most of her books, reminding society that as Marie was stepping out of bounds as far as the proper role for a Victorian woman, she was "unsexed" and therefore mentally ill. Her revenge was the novel ''The Murder of Delicia'', a polemic on the social control of women in all its forms.

But throughout her career, Corelli did write of the right of persons to advance according to their talents and not to be trapped by social class and expectations. She believed in universal health care and invested a lot of her wealth into improving Stratford-upon-Avon's standing as a Shakespearean center. She wrote of drug addiction in ''Wormwood'', alcoholism in ''Holy Orders'', illegitimacy in ''Innocent'', CramSchool and child suicide in ''The Mighty Atom'', internal combustion engines in ''The Devil's Motor''[[note]]Written in 1901. By 1912, she got herself a Daimler.[[/note]], the benefits of atomic energy in ''The Secret Power'', and adapted the Theatre/{{Faust}} legend in ''The Sorrows of Satan'' -- which was adapted to film in 1926 by Creator/DWGriffith.

But throughout her career, Corelli did write of the right of persons to advance according to their talents and not to be trapped by social class and expectations. She believed in universal health care and invested a lot of her wealth into improving Stratford-upon-Avon's standing as a Shakespearean center. She wrote of drug addiction in ''Wormwood'', alcoholism in ''Holy Orders'', illegitimacy in ''Innocent'', CramSchool and child suicide in ''The Mighty Atom'', internal combustion engines in ''The Devil's Motor''[[note]]Written in 1901. By 1912, she got herself a Daimler.[[/note]], the benefits of atomic energy in ''The Secret Power'', and adapted the Theatre/{{Faust}} legend in ''The Sorrows of Satan''.

Marie was either a Lesbian or (more likely) had a very strong PseudoRomanticFriendship with her housemate Bertha Vyver. Something had happened early in her life to put her off the idea of men and marriage in the ordinary sense. She looked much younger than her actual age, and ensured that she continued to do so even in her advanced years by careful effects in dress and makeup, plus working with her photographers to ensure her publicity stills were retouched.

She wrote of the right of persons to advance according to their talents and not to be trapped by social class and expectations. She believed in universal health care and women's right to vote. She wrote of drug addiction in ''Wormwood'', alcoholism in ''Holy Orders'', illegitimacy in ''Innocent'', CramSchool and child suicide in ''The Mighty Atom'', internal combustion engines in ''The Devil's Motor''[[note]]this didn't stop her from buying a Daimler[[/note]], the benefits of atomic energy in ''The Secret Power'', and adapted the Theatre/{{Faust}} legend in ''The Sorrows of Satan'', which was made into a film.

* ''Literature/{{Vendetta}}'' (1886)

Marie was either a Lesbian or (more likely) had a very strong RomanticTwoGirlFriendship with her housemate Bertha Vyver. Something had happened early in her life to put her off the idea of men and marriage in the ordinary sense. She looked much younger than her actual age, and ensured that she continued to do so even in her advanced years by careful effects in dress and makeup, plus working with her photographers to ensure her publicity stills were retouched.

[[http://mariecorelli.org.uk/ Marie Corelli]] was a Christian mystic/spiritualist and the author of many Victorian fantasy-romances including ''Literature/ARomanceOfTwoWorlds'' and ''Literature/{{Ardath}}''. Some of her books featured reincarnation, astral projection and other occult themes, quite normal for that speculative era. Like Creator/HRiderHaggard (who was a fan of hers, and she of him) and Creator/EdwardBulwerLytton, she seemed to have been influenced by the Rosicrucians and the Society for Psychic Research. But much of her writing on these matters was purely original. Like Bulwer-Lytton, she was taken seriously by Theosophy and by today's UsefulNotes/NewAge. Her stories often had strong [[AnAesop Aesops]] about the hypocrisy of society, unfairness towards women and children, and cold rationality without compassion or spirituality.

[[http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/webbin/book/search?author=Marie+Corelli&amode=words All of Marie Corelli's books can be read for free at the Online Books Page]].

When she discovered Ouida living in dire poverty in Italy trying to run a dog rescue on pennies, Marie published a passionate open letter in the London ''Daily Mail''. Ouida was right pissed by the invasion of her privacy, but the letter did help to start a fund for her and her [[CanineCompanion Canine Companions]].

She wrote of the right of persons to advance according to their talents and not to be trapped by social class and expectations. She believed in universal health care and women's right to vote. She wrote of drug addiction in ''Wormwood'', alcoholism in ''Holy Orders'', illegitimacy in ''Innocent'', CramSchool and child suicide in ''The Mighty Atom'', internal combustion engines in ''The Devil's Motor''[[note]]this didn't stop her from buying a Daimler[[/note]], the benefits of atomic energy in ''The Secret Power'', and adapted the Theatre/{{Faust}} legend in ''The Sorrows of Satan'', which was made into a film. When she discovered Ouida living in dire poverty in Italy trying to run a dog rescue on pennies, Marie published a passionate open letter in the London ''Daily Mail''. Ouida was right pissed by the invasion of her privacy, but the letter did help to start a fund for her and her [[CanineCompanion Canine Companions]].

Born Mary Ann Mackay on May 1, 1855, Marie was the daughter of Elizabeth Mills, a maidservant in the home of Charles Mackay who wrote ''Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds''. She spent her childhood in England and was educated in Paris. Mackay called himself her stepfather and legally adopted her. She may have been his birth daughter, in which case she was illegitimate. She later took pains to cover up her parentage and background. She said her real father was an Italian who had died before her birth. Her stage / writing name Corelli came from him. She would say she had either been born in Venice or went to school there, although she never really learned Italian outside of her music education -- one thing she wasn't good at was languages. She credited her real father with having introduced her to the Rosicrucians through some material he left her, and she may have been a member of [[https://www.rosicrucian.org/history AMORC]].

Born Mary Ann Mackay on May 1, 1855, Marie was the daughter of Charles Mackay who wrote ''Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds''. She is generally believed to have been illegitimate and took pains to cover up her true parentage and background. She began to refer to herself as Marie Corelli and claimed to be from Venice, although she never really learned to speak Italian -- one thing she wasn't good at was languages. She first came to attention as an improvisational pianist, which meant she was immensely proficient in keyboard work. She could make up a whole sonata or symphony in her head and play it while planning it. (Today we associate this more with jazz.) She had a brief career as a professional singer, but her voice wasn't strong enough and constant performing put her under too much stress.

[[http://mariecorelli.org.uk/ Marie Corelli]] was a Christian mystic/spiritualist and the author of many Victorian fantasy-romances including ''Literature/ARomanceOfTwoWorlds'' and ''Literature/{{Ardath}}''. Some of her books featured reincarnation, astral projection and other occult themes, quite normal for that speculative era. Like Creator/EdwardBulwerLytton, she seemed to have been influenced by the Rosicrucians and the Society for Psychic Research. But much of her writing on these matters was purely original. Like Bulwer-Lytton, she was taken seriously by Theosophy and by today's UsefulNotes/NewAge. Her stories often had strong [[AnAesop Aesops]] about the hypocrisy of society, unfairness towards women and children, and cold rationality without compassion or spirituality.

[[http://mariecorelli.org.uk/ Marie Corelli]] was a Christian mystic/spiritualist and the author of many Victorian fantasy-romances including ''Literature/ARomanceOfTwoWorlds'' and ''Literature/{{Ardath}}''. Her stories often had strong [[AnAesop Aesops]] about the hypocrisy of society, unfairness towards women and children, and cold rationality without compassion or spirituality.

She wrote of the right of persons to advance according to their talents and not to be trapped by social class and expectations. She believed in universal health care and women's right to vote. She wrote of drug addiction in ''Wormwood'', illegitimacy in ''Innocent'', CramSchool and child suicide in ''The Mighty Atom'', internal combustion engines in ''The Devil's Motor''[[note]]this didn't stop her from buying a Daimler[[/note]], the benefits of atomic energy in ''The Secret Power'', and adapted the Theatre/{{Faust}} legend in ''The Sorrows of Satan'', which was made into a film. When she discovered Ouida living in dire poverty in Italy trying to run a dog rescue on pennies, Marie published a passionate open letter in the London ''Daily Mail''. Ouida was right pissed by the invasion of her privacy, but the letter did help to start a fund for her and her [[CanineCompanion Canine Companions]].

Marie died April 24, 1924.

She wrote of the right of persons to advance according to their talents and not to be trapped by social class and expectations. She believed in universal health care and women's right to vote. She wrote of drug addiction in ''Wormwood'', illegitimacy in ''Innocent'', CramSchool and child suicide in ''The Mighty Atom'', internal combustion engines in ''The Devil's Motor''[[note]]this didn't stop her from buying a Daimler[[/note]], the benefits of atomic energy in ''The Secret Power'', and adapted the Theatre/{{Faust}} legend in ''The Sorrows of Satan'', which was made into a film. When she discovered Ouida living in dire poverty in Italy trying to run a dog rescue on pennies, Marie published a passionate open letter in the London ''Times''. Ouida was right pissed by the invasion of her privacy, but the letter did help to start a fund for her and her [[CanineCompanion CanineCompanions]].

Like her friend Creator//{{Ouida}}, Marie could be difficult in person, but she was capable of great kindnesses and self-sacrifice. She was the sole support of her brother Eric, who failed miserably at every career he attempted. Instead of being grateful, he got nasty and went around saying he wrote most of her books, reminding society that as Marie was stepping out of bounds as far as the proper role for a Victorian woman, she was "unsexed" and therefore mentally ill. Her revenge was the novel ''The Murder of Delicia'', a polemic on the social control of women in all its forms.